Goodbye Life
by Eira Miste
Summary: No one ever expected this. That somehow, it one minute, everything changed. The truth is out, but it happened in a way that no one wanted or expected.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This was originally in my one-shots, but became a lot bigger than I expected. XD TRIGGER WARNING! Mentioning of violence_**

* * *

No one knew what happened.

There had been an akuma, and Ms. Bustier told everyone to hide. Three students were missing, Lila, Adrien and Marinette. Months before, Alya would have been worried about Marinette, but now she was worried about her best friend. Lila.

As always, Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated the akuma, whose identity was unknown. The class headed back to their classroom, ready to resume their lesson, and to find out more about the akuma.

What they weren't expecting was to hear sirens blaring outside the school. They weren't expecting the principle to rush into the room, and they _definitely_ were not expecting to be told that one of their classmates had been assaulted outside of the school, and that she was being rushed to the hospital.

"Was it Lila?!" Alya asked, jumping out of her seat.

"Adrikins?!" Chloe cried.

Mr. Damocles shook his head, "It was Miss Dupain-Cheng," he said solemnly.

Silence fell over the class, "What?" Alya whispered.

"No one knows exactly what happened," Mr. Damocles said, "Someone must have found her alone, and took advantage of the akuma to attack her. Chat Noir was the one to find her. From what I know, he is currently taking the attacker, who remains unknown, to the authorities."

"Will she be okay?" Rose asked,

"We don't know yet."

Alya didn't know what to think. It was as if her mind and body had both froze, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move or think. Even though she and Marintte weren't on the best of terms, she didn't want Marinette fighting for her life! Who would hurt her? Why would anyone hurt her like that!

What happened?

* * *

Luka was in study hall when he got the text from Juleka. '_Marinette is in the hospital.'_

That was all it took. He bolted out of his seat and the classroom, much to his teachers' protest, and headed for the exist while dialing Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.

"_H-hello?"_

"Mrs. Dupain-Chang, its Luka. How is she?"

There was silence on the other end, and Luka could hear just how irregular Mrs. Dupain-Chang's breathing was.

"Mrs. Dupain-Chang?"

"_Luka, I am so sorry."_ Her voice cracked and all Luka could hear was sobbing,

"No," He said, tears blurring his vision, "no, she can't- She can't-"

"_She's not going to make it, Luka."_

* * *

Tikki never saw it coming.

One minute Marinette was fine. They had just de-transformed and were heading back to class. The next minute, she was being attacked, and Tikki didn't have enough energy to transform her.

Tikki was able to send out a call to Plagg, and within moments, Chat Noir was on the scene, as were the sounds of an ambulance.

He grabbed the attack and pulled them off of Marinette, with so much force Tikki was amazed that it didn't hurt the attacker, or Marinette.

Out of desperation, Tikki tried to pour healing energy into Marinette, but she knew that she couldn't do to much. Not after the oath she had taken years ago. With the ambulance getting closer, she darted out of hiding and removed the earrings. She placed a kiss on Marinette's forehead and flew over to Chat Noir.

"Make sure that this girl is sent out of the country and is prosecuted to the fullest extent."

Chat Noir was so worked up, that all he could do was nod his head, and he was off. Tikki hid in one of the bushes and watched as the emergency workers grabbed Marinette and rushed her onto a stretcher, attaching different types of machinery to her as they went.

While she was being taken care of, Tikki had other matters to attend to. Mainly, make sure that those who had hurt Marinette and put her in this situation would pay.

Wang Fu was watching the news when he saw the report. "_A local teen is reportedly on her death bed after being attacked, following the akuma attack." _The man said, "_Her name is one we've all heard. Marinette Dupain-Cheng."_

His glass slipped from his hands and shattered as it hit the floor.

"Master! It can't be!" Wayzz cried.

"It is."

Master Fu looked up to find Tikki floating into the room, holding the Ladybug Miraculous. She looked terrifying. Her colors had gotten darker and ans she was glowing vibrantly, her eyes were shining with anger.

"Tikki? What has happened? Marinette-"

"You knew that something like this would happen." She interrupted. Master Fu's eyes widened in shock.

"What?!" He cried, "I never-"

"Every time you saw her, you told her to be the bigger person," She continued, "You made her think that she wasn't allowed to feel harshly towards anyone. And because you're the guardian, I couldn't just speak out against you. Not because of that stupid oath I agreed to take all those years ago. Between you and her teacher, she felt like no one could know about her problems. That she could handle them all alone." Tikki glared at him and gestured to the TV, "Obviously, you were both wrong."

Master Fu paled, "You don't mean to tell me that the girl Marinette told me about was the one to…"

Tikki nodded, "Oh, yes. Lila came at her with a knife and everything. Apparently, all of her akumatizations weren't enough. Turning all of Marinette's friends against her was not enough!" At some point, she must have connected the dots because her hatred for Ladybug and her hatred for Marinette mixed, and now look!" Tikki dropped the earrings, which Wayzz swiftly caught, and flew up in front of Fu's face. "And you could have stopped it."

The kwami took a deep breath and backed up, no emotion showed on her face. "Unbeknownst to you and many of the newer guardians, there is a loophole to Guardianship. That loophole is that, as the Kwami of Creation, if I find a guardian highly unfit, I can take away their guardianship."

Master Fu fell to his knees and clutched his hands together, "No! No, please!"

Tikki glowed brighter, and the air tingled with magic. "Wang Fu, as the Kwami of Creation, the oldest Kwami and leader of all the kwamis, I revoke your guardianship and declare Marinette Dupain-Cheng as the guardian of the Miraculous'. As a safeguard, I am removing your memories of the Miraculous. You are to leave Paris, and you will live out your life not knowing who you are, or what happened." Tikki stopped glowing and lowered a little, the magic in the air started to fade, "It is done." She said. Wayzz was gone, the earrings were on the floor. Tikki grabbed them and quickly flew out of the house. She had to get to the Miracle Box before anyone discovered it.

* * *

Alya swiped at her phone, looking at the few pictures of Marinette that she still had. Marinette with her contest-winning hat, sleepover selfies, the picture of her and Adrien sleeping on the train.

Tears flooded her eyes. How stupid had she been? To push away Marinette, one of the sweetest girls out there. Marinette, who was always there for everyone, ready to do whatever was needed. Marinette, who would sacrifice her own time to watch Alya's twin sisters when Alya wanted to spend time with Nino. Marinette, who scored her interviews with Ladybug. Marinette, who was currently fighting for her life.

Marinette, the girl who had been her best friend.

It had been so many months, that Alya couldn't even remember why they weren't friends anymore, and she didn't care. All she wanted was Marinette back. For Marinette to be okay.

"Class," Alya looked up at Ms. Bustier, who was oddly pale, and the person next to her. Chat Noir.

"Chat Noir has some news about Marinette and her attack."

Chloe was the first to speak, "Is she okay? Is her attacker caught?"

Chat Noir held up a hand and Chloe, for once, stayed quiet. "One at a time." He said, unusually subdued, though that made sense considering…

Chat Noir surveyed the class, "I was the one who found Marinette being attacked, and her attack is from this school. From this class."

Numerous gasps went around. Other than Marinette, there were only two students missing, "You're not telling us that Adiren attacked Marinette!" Alix shouted,

Chat Noir lifted an eyebrow, "No, I'm not. Because he didn't. Her attacker was Lila Rossi."

Alya's blood went cold, as the rest of the class shouted protests, all she could think was '_no.'_

Chat Noir stayed firm in his claim. "I was the one who pulled her off of Marinette, the one who saw her with the knife, which has her fingerprints on it. Lila has been the akuma this time around. We believe that she was trying to get to Marinette that way, as well. Only, she failed, and Marinette was in the wrong place at the wrong time." His voice sounded heavy, and cold, "Lila is already being taken out of the country, and is on constant watch for an akuma. Everything she has said, everything she has claimed, have been lies. When she realized that she wasn't going to get out of this one, she admitted that she also has threatened Marinette multiple times. Because of everything against her, I doubt that any of you will see Miss Rossi again." Chat closed his eyes, as if he needed to calm down, before delivering a warning to the class, "Careful who you trust," He said, "You never know who will stab you in the back." With that, he left.

Alya watched him through blurred vision. In the course of a day her ex-best friend was hurt, her best friend was the one who hurt her and had apparently lied about everything, and she realized that for months, she had also been treating Marinette horribly. And she might not have the chance to apologize for it.

* * *

Tikki darted into the empty hospital room. There was Marinette, IV's in her arms, a mask on her face, and hooked up to a couple of different machines. The Miracle Box was sitting on the floor next to her.

Tikki flew to Marinette, and carefully put the earrings back on her. "You'll be okay," she said, "I promise." With that, she headed over the the Miracle box and tapped it. "As Kwami of Creation and the Kwami of the current guardian, I order all kwamis to exit the Miracle Box."

Tikki flew back as the box opened and 15 kwamis flew out.

"Tikki!" Sass flew to her, "Wayzz told us about Marinette. How is she?"

Tikki pointed up at the bed, "Not good,"

"Do you want to heal her?"

Tikki nodded her head, "I don't have a choice."

"But can you?" Trixx asked from behind Sass, "With her so hurt, and Plagg not here, who will keep you from going too far?"

"All of you." Tikki replied, "If you're willing, that is."

The kwamis looked at each other, and simultaneously nodded their heads. Together, they all flew to Marinette. Tikki landed on her chest, right at her heart, and the other's made a circle around her.

Tikki started to hum, and spoke in a language so ancient that there is no translation. As she began to glow, so did all of the others, and Marinette. As she continued, Marinette began to change. Her wounds started to disappear, and her breathing started to change.

When Tikki finished, the kwamis, the kwamis all drifted down, resting on Marinette.

"Marinette?" Tikki flew up and touched her holder's cheek, "Wake up, Marinette. It's time to wake up." After a few more words of encouragement, from herself and the other kwami's, Marinette slowly opened her eyes. The kwamis all flew to her mask and moved it off her mouth so she could talk.

"Tikki?" Marinette turned her head, and her eyes started to widen at the sight of all the kwamis. "What is going on? Where am I?"

Tikki stroked Marinette's cheek, while the other kwamis continued to remove all of the IV's and tubes attached to Marinette. "You were attacked, Marinette. By Lila. She must have seen you de-transform, and she took her change. You were dying, but you're okay now! And you're the guardian now.

"Wait, what?!" Marinette sat up, or tried to sit up, but winced and slowed down.

Tikki hugged her cheek. "I did all I could without having Plagg around," She said, "So you'll be a little sore."

Marinette stared at her, "Tikki? Does… Does everyone think that I'm?"

Tikki looked away, "They think that you're near death."

"And if they see me like this?"

Her silence was the answer.

Marinette took a deep breath, "Who else knows my identity?"

"Only Chat Noir."

"But if they all see me fine, then they'll all find out. What then?"

Tikki looked up at her, "I don't know, Marinette. But, I couldn't let you die!"

Marinette took Tikki in her hands, tears in her eyes, "I know, Tikki. But now I have a difficult choice to make." She looked to Trixx, "And I'm going to need your help."

* * *

Luka walked into the hospital's waiting room, and immediately spotted Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.

"How is she?" He asked. Mrs. Dupain-Cheng was crying, and Mr. Dupain looked like he was about to.

"She's not good, Luka." He said, "She's near the end. We couldn't…" He broke off and took his wife's hand, "We couldn't stay in there any longer."

Luka fought his own tears, though they stung his eyes, and asked, "Can I see her?"

Mr. Dupain didn't answer, but motioned to a nurse. Then, Luka was taken through white doors, to the unknown.

* * *

The room was white and dark, regardless of the window, and Marinette was in the center of it. She was hooked up to machinery, and had a breathing mask. She looked so fragile. Luka swallowed back tears as he moved towards her.

He could remember every conversation they had, from their first, to the day they admitted their feelings for one another. Even though they were both young, he thought that they'd make it. That they'd be together forever. He never imagined that this would happen.

He crouched down next to her and brought her hand to his mouth, placing a kiss on her palm. "Hey, Baby." He whispered, "I know that you're in pain, and I know that you're fighting, and all I ask is if you fight a little more." He reached out and smoothed her bangs away from her face, "Do you remember the day we met?" He asked, "You walked into my room, and didn't even know I was there," He stroked her cheek, "I started to fall in love with you then. Every time that we were together, I was more amazed by you. From your selflessness, to your creativity. You always strive to see the best in people, and are always there for everyone, ready to help."

Luka broke off as a sob escaped, and he lowered his head onto her shoulder. "I can't imagine a world without you, Marinette. I love you." He lifted his head and moved forward, placing a kiss on her forehead, and then resting his forehead on hers. "I love you so, so much."

Outside the window, hanging onto the building, Ladybug felt tears stream down her face as Barkk told her what Luka was saying in her ear.

"I love you too, Luka." She whispered, "And I am so sorry."

* * *

_**AN: That was my first attempt at angst in a really long time, and my first attempt writing Lukanette. I hope it was okay! The song inspiring this was 'If I Die Young' by 'The Band Perry'. Hope ya'll enjoyed it! **_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: A bit shorter than the first part, I'll admit._**

* * *

Alya was sitting in her room later that night, staring at her phone. She had been trying to get ahold of Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, but had yet to get through.

"Alya! Get in here!" Nora shouted, desperately.

Alya raced into the living room, "Nora, what is it?" Nora pointed to the TV, where a tearful Nadja Chamack was reporting.

"_Today, teenager Marinette Dupain-Cheng was attacked by fellow student Lila Rossi. Not much is known, other than that Miss Rossi is being taken out of the country, far from Hawkmoth."_ Nadja reached up and wiped a tear off her face, and Alya's breath quickened, "_A few minutes ago, it… it was confirmed that Marinette… That Marinette died from her injuries."_

"No." Alya whispered. She felt her knees buckle, "NO!" She felt arms catch her as she fell, and could hear Nora try telling her that it was okay. But it wasn't. Marinette was gone. Nothing was ever going to be okay.

* * *

A week later, there was a funeral for Marinette. Hundreds of people showed up. Many stepped up to tell stories about Marinette, or to say what their favorite thing about her was. Jagged Stone and Luka performed a song in honor of her, written by Luka, though Jagged had to take over when Luka was overcome by emotion.

Her old classmates all came up with testimonies about how wonderful Marinette was. Alya was the only one who couldn't finish.

No one noticed the girl in the back, face hidden by a black veil, who watched them all with red eyes. No one noticed the faint light from under the lid of the casket, and no one realized that it was empty when it was put in the ground.

Hours later, after everyone left, the girl came forward and placed her hand on the fresh dirt. "I'm sorry, Maman, Papa, Luka." She said, "But this is what needs to happen." And with that, she left, leaving no trace.

* * *

Two weeks later, Paris was surprised to find a "new" Ladybug.

Her hair was long, dark red waves, held back in a ponytail. Her outfit was different, a red top with black spots, that went solid black after a short sleeve. She had a thick, black stripe around her stomach, and then it once again went to the red with black spots until her thighs, where it went black once more, and merged with her boots. She wore black shoulder pads and knee pads, and had wings, red with black spots. The edges of her mask were black, but that was the only difference there. The biggest difference, though, were her eyes, which were dark purple. She called herself Crimson Bug.

Two days after Crimson Bug's appearance, Chat Noir resigned. He said that he couldn't go through losing another partner. Crimson had turned so she wouldn't see him de-transform, and he had time to say goodbye to Plagg.

In the midst of all of this, there was a new girl on the streets of Batignolles, a district in the 17th arrondissement. If people had looked close enough, the would have found something about the red-haired girl familiar. Whether it was her smile, or the way her eyes, an unnatural purple, looked. If they paid attention, maybe the would have noticed a small apartment all the sudden come in use, while it's resident was never scene. Maybe they would have noticed the shipments that went out, and came in. Maybe they would have noticed the little creatures darting to and fro, but they never did.

If the kids at school paid more attention, they might have noticed the new girl, who's red hair was always in braid, and who kept to herself. But most of them didn't.

Most of them.

A few did. They became friends with here, though it didn't take long for them to realize that she had a secret she wasn't telling them, but it was okay.

One in particular caught her attention for an entire different reason.

Two weeks after meeting her, he went home to find a small box on his bed. Upon opening it, a tiny, black creature flew out.

"Felix Vigneau, you are the new Chat Noir. Congratulations. Now, do you have any cheese?"

* * *

_**Felix Vigneau is sorta a mix between Felix Agreste, Felix Culpa, and canon Felix. So... yeah... XD**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Trigger Warning! Some depression, and please remember that I am not a professional, nor have I ever been to therapy for grief.**_

* * *

Luka picked the strings of his guitar, trying to numb the pain her felt.

Marinette's funeral was the day before, and many people had shown up, all to say their goodbyes and give their support, but none of them had been there when she left. None of them heard the machine stop beeping, saw her chest stop rising, watched as she grew paler.

None of them had been there, yelling for the doctors.

None of them were there when the doctor's ushered him out of the room.

And only he and the Dupain's were there when the doctor said that she was gone.

Luka's chest tightened, and he switched to strumming.

Her smile haunted him. Her voice still whispered in his ear. Her laughter still rang through his mind. Her eyes were still looking into his.

Her song… He had unconsciously started playing it.

Tears came, his hands started shaking, and his fingers couldn't play the chords correctly.

Luka threw the guitar, just as his sobs broke through.

"Luka?"

He could hear soft footsteps come towards him, and could feel small arms wrap around him.

"I loved her, Juleka."

"I know," she whispered, guiding his head to her shoulder, "I know you did, and I know that she loved you."

"I don't know if I can… I don't know if I can live without her."

Juleka's grip around him tightened, "You can. It will be hard, but you can. Luka, there are people here that love you, just as you loved Marinette."

"I miss her."

He could feel a tear drop onto his head, "I do too,"

* * *

Nora walked into Alya's room, seeing the girl wrapped up in her blankets, not moving.

"Alya, you need to come eat." She said gently.

Alya didn't respond, and Nora wasn't even sure if she was awake.

"Alya,"

"I'm not hungry."

Nora felt some relief, at least she was talking. But still, "Alya, you haven't eaten in two days."

Once again, she was met with silence. But her little sister couldn't go on like this, "Mom made some chicken soup. I'll bring you some."

Alya was still quiet.

* * *

Once Nora left the room, Alya rolled over.

She didn't want food, she wanted to stay under the covers and forget about the past few days, to somehow go back in time and make everything right. To somehow save Marinette.

Alya drew in a shaky breath, and grabbed her phone from beside her. She immediately went to photos, and started to scroll through pictures. A lot of the photos had been deleted, others were just of some outings, without Marinette or Lila, but once she reached old ones, Marinette was there.

She was so happy. They were happy. And Alya ruined it by believing a liar over her best friend. A liar who killed one of the best people in the world.

"I was so stupid," Alya whispered. The more she looked at the pictures of her and Marinette, the worse she felt. She threw her phone across the room as her vision blurred.

"Alya?"

Alya sat up and looked at her sister, "Nora, I didn't get to apologize to her!"

Nora set down a tray of food, and came over, climbing onto the bed and pulling Alya close. "I know, but it will be okay."

"No it won't!"

Nora didn't say anything, opting to stroke Alya's hair as she continued to cry.

After a while, Alya's tears were gone, and she pulled away from Nora, just as her stomach started to hurt.

"Ready for some food?"

Alya shook her head,

"Do you think that you should eat some?"

No.. "Yes."

Nora handed her the tray, "We'll talk more later," She promised.

Alya didn't want later to come.

* * *

Adrien Agreste had been through a lot in life. He had lost his mother, he was in isolation for many years, and he didn't have much of a relationship with his father. So losing a friend and a love at the same time? He wasn't ready for that blow.

He didn't know what he was supposed to feel. In the span of 24 hours, he had found out that Marinette and Ladybug were the same person, and then Marinette was murdered for being Ladybug.

He was sure that a lot of people would be feeling grief, or anger, or both. Depression maybe? But he didn't.

He felt numb.

He felt empty.

He felt like… he didn't know how to explain it.

Plagg kept trying to cheer him up, but they both knew that it wasn't working.

It was almost like, he could no longer feel emotions.

If he could… he thought that he'd be scared of that fact.

But he wasn't.

He was just… Numb.

* * *

Later had eventually come for Alya, only it also involved her parents. They, like Nora, were worried about her, and two days later, she had an appointment with a therapist.

She was a kind woman, who wanted to help. She made no comments when Alya told her the full story, including the way she had treated Marinette. This frustrated Alya to no end, but she supposed that the woman knew what she was doing.

The first session was just Alya telling her story, as they ran out of time. Her therapist told her to write down her feelings later that night, in a journal. Alya did. She wrote 20 pages of everything she was feeling, then continued to write down memories of Marinette. It helped a little, but not much.

Her next session was three days after that. The therapist asked her to tell her about the first time she met Marinette, then continued to ask her stories. Alya complied, the session ended, and she was once again told to write down her feelings, only this time to try writing a poem.

She wasn't able to write a poem, but she did write a short story about a dying flower. Her mother wasn't happy with the ending, Alya was.

It was on the third session, seven days after the first, that her therapist gave her more advice than just writing out her feelings.

"Try talking to someone who was close to Marinette."

Alya contemplated that as she walked out of the building. Who was close to Marinette? None from her friend group, for sure. Even Juleka, who did hang out with Marinette, wasn't that close to her.

Wait.

Alya changed her direction and began walking towards the river, looking for something. It wasn't long before she reached her destination.

Juleka's houseboat.

If there was one thing that Alya was sure about, it was that the one person who might be able to help her, was Luka.

Juleka opened the door as Alya was walking up the gangplank.

"Hey, Alya."

"Hi… Um, is," Alya looked down for a moment, before once again returning her gaze to Juleka, "is Luka here?"

Juleka nodded, and gestured for Alya to come inside. "Wait here for a minute," She said, as she headed in the direction of the room she shared with Luka.

Alya glanced around the room, she hadn't been here in months. Everything was the same. Except for one thing.

Alya walked over to the counter, and looked at the picture of Luka and Marinette. He was hugging her from behind, and she was laughing. They were looking at each other with love, and looked so happy.

"That was taken last month,"

Alya turned to see Luka walking towards her, he picked up the picture, and looked at it with an emotion that she couldn't describe.

"She had been working really hard, so Kagami reached out to me and together we planned to surprise her at her favorite spot and steal her for the day. Kagami took the photo, and Marinette insisted that we needed to have it printed and framed."

Luka sighed and set the photo back down, "Why are you here, Alya?"

"My therapist told me that I should try talking about Marinette with other people who cared about her," Alya looked down and shook her head, "but any happy story I had about her, was from months ago. Luka, I was horrible to her… and I never got to apologize to her, to make things right."

Luka didn't answer, and Alya felt like an idiot. Why would Marinette's boyfriend want to talk to her? She had basically bullied Marinette. There was no reason-

"She missed you,"

"What?" Alya asked, turning to look at him

Luka nodded his head, "She kept waiting for the day that you would stop believing lies. The day that you two could be friends again. She was convinced that you would see the truth."

Alya swallowed back a lump in her throat, "And you?"

Luka shook his head, "I didn't know. I hadn't interacted with you that much, but I never labeled you as a horrible person. Just misguided. But at the same time, I didn't want you hurting Marinette."

Alya nodded, "I understand… I just. I was hoping that you could tell me about her last days. How she was, what she was doing, that sort of thing?"

Luka nodded again and gestured for the couch, "She was happy whenever she wasn't at school. She had been designing more, and was getting ready to start her own brand."

"When did you two start dating."

Luka looked away, and Alya immediately regretted asking, "Three months ago."

"Luka.. I-I'm sorry."

"No.. No, your therapist is right, it's good to talk. Better than destroying things."

Alya let out a small laugh, "I wrecked my phone."

That earned her a smile, "My guitar."

"Ouch."

"Yeah.."

That seemed to be the icebreaker they needed. For the next hour, the pair swapped stories of Marinette, and Juleka had eventually joined them. For the first time in over a week, Alya laughed, really laughed. As she was heading on her way out, with a promise to visit again, Luka called out to her, "Your song is already starting to sound better."

She didn't know what they meant, but she assumed that it was good.

* * *

Juleka watched as Luka looked searched their room for something, "Are you okay?" She asked, "I know that Alya visiting was a surprise, but-"

"I'm fine," He interrupted, "Have you seen my old guitar case?"

"Under your bed?"

Luka groaned an "of course" and looked there, finding his case. When he went to undo some of the stitching, Juleka connected the dots. "I thought you were saving that money for your, 'rainy day fund' or something."

"I am."

"So?"

Luka smiled, "It's time to get a new guitar."

* * *

**_A/N: So... that was my attempt at grief and healing. Again, I am not a professional in how to handle grief. Anyways... I'll just be on way._**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Simple version, I was sick for a while and life... and writer's block. But here's the new chapter! Sorry for taking so long to get it up.**_

* * *

Alya hummed the words to the latest Jagged Stone song as she walked to the Couffaine houseboat. For the first time in weeks, she has woken up genuinely happy. Maybe a little sad, too, but not unbearably so.

For the past few days, she and Luka had been texting each other on and off. While they would sometimes discuss what was going on in their lives that day, and Marinette, they were mostly checking up on each other. Making sure that they both got up, that they were both eating, Luka kept making sure that Alya didn't slip into a guilt-trapped mind, and they both made sure that neither of them slipped into darkness and, in Luka's case, destruction.

They were making sure that neither of them felt alone.

Anyways, today Luka had texted asking for a favor, and Alya wasn't going to say no, even if she wasn't entirely sure what that favor _was_ yet. But she trusted Luka, so she doubted that it was anything bad.

Alya upped her pace as she spotted the boat in the distance, and within a few moments, was at their door knocking.

Luka opened the door, and Alya was about to speak when he quickly shook his head and stepped outside with her, closing the door behind her. Then, he gestured for her to continue with what she was going to say.

"What is going on Luka?" She asked

His reply was simple, "I need your help."

"With?"

Luka looked a bit nervous, "Well… would you be willing to talk about your coping methods with someone who needs them?"

Alya lifted an eyebrow, asking the obvious question.

"Kagami," he sighed.

"Ice Queen?!"

"Alya!"

Alya rolled her eyes, "Sorry. Why _Kagami_?"

"She and Marinette had gotten close in the past few months," Luka explained, "They became…"

"They became?" Alya prodded, having a feeling that she knew what he was going to say.

"Best friends."

Which didn't mean that said answer was going to hurt any less.

"Anyways, Kagami has been struggling since Marinette's death. And today is especially bad."

"Why?" Alya asked,

"It's Thursday, and Thursdays were their day. The day that they hung out with each other, no matter what."

"Okay but why does Ice Queen-"

"Kagami," Luka corrected

"Right, Kagami, need my help? Can't she afford a therapist?"

Luka looked uncomfortable, and upset, as he explained, "Kagami's mother doesn't believe in weakness. Any weakness. In her mind, mourning is only for the day of the death and the day of the funeral. Any other day is unacceptable."

Alya couldn't stop herself from taking a sharp breath. She knew that Kagami's mother was pretty strict, and cold, but she never realized that it was too that degree. Sure, she wasn't Kagami's biggest fan, but to go through that? No one should have to go through that.

Really, it made the decision a no-brainer. "Okay. I'll help her."

* * *

Alya wasn't really sure what she was expecting when she saw Kagami. Maybe she would look a little sadder, or maybe a little less put together. She wasn't expecting to see her in pajamas with her knees pulled up to her chest, bloodshot eyes and tear-stained cheeks. It seemed so… un-Kagami.

Alya took a deep breath to compose herself, before sitting across from Kagami. "Hey," she said softly.

She barely heard the "Hi" whispered back.

"I heard that you need some help. About… how to handle your grief."

Kagami didn't say anything, but nodded her head, and Alya continued. "There really isn't a right way. My therapist has mentioned a couple different methods, but said that they work differently for everyone. One of the first she had me try was writing out my feelings in a journal. I still do that, and it works some. It helps to clear your mind, and sometimes memories of Marinette come out, which also helps. Um, she then had me try writing poetry. I personally couldn't, but I was able to write a very depressing story. That somehow helped, in its own odd way…"

Kagami wasn't showing any emotion, and Alya was tempted to quit talking. But she felt a bit of pressure on her shoulder, and looked up to see Luka nodding and gesturing for her to continue.

"After that, she said to talk to people about Marinette, especially those who were close with her. Exchange memories, and share grief." She smiled, "That _really_ helped, because you're not alone. We're all going through this, and we should do it together."

"Marinette would have wanted it that way." Kagami said softly, startling Alya.

"Yeah… I bet she would have."

"What else?"

"Um," Alya racked her brain, recently her therapy sessions had turned to actually _talking through her feelings_ with her therapist, and self care, rather than being given tasks to help with grief. "Well, my therapist did mention writing a letter to Marinette."

Kagami and Luka both shot her confused looks, "How does that work?" Kagami asked

Alya shrugged, "She just said to write Marinette a letter, telling her… whatever you want, really. Feelings, memories, rambles, that sort of thing. Then she said that you can either keep it, mail it to a random address, burn it, to do whatever you want with it."

Kagami looked contemplative, and had slowly loosened her grip on her knees. "That… doesn't sound like a bad idea." She admitted, causing Alya to give a small smile, "Thank you."

Alya's smile grew, "You're-."

A ringing noise caused all three of them to jump, and Kagami cursed before grabbing her phone.

"Hello, Mother."

Kagami closed her eyes and held her phone away from her ear, causing Alya to flinch as she heard Kagami's mother shout through the phone in Japanese. You didn't need to understand what she was saying, to know that Kagami was in a lot of trouble.

Once the shouting stopped, Kagami returned the phone to her ear, and talked to her mother in her native language. When she hung up, she looked to Luka and Alya with no emotion on her face, as if she had once again locked it all away.

"My mother will be here in a few minutes to pick me up," She said, "I probably won't see either of you for a while, so I want to say thank you again."

Alya hesitated for a moment before drawing Kagami into a hug. "Don't let your mother keep you from grieving," she whispered, "And if you need someone to talk to, Luka can text you my number."

Kagami was stiff in her arms, but she slowly returned the hug, and Alya could feel the girl shaking. "Thank you." She whispered.

"You're welcome."

* * *

After Kagami left, Luka made the pair some tea and they went out to the deck, taking a couple blankets with them.

"How had she gotten here anyways?" Alya asked, "If her mother didn't know?"

"She snuck out before sunrise."

Alya gaped at him, "Kagami snuck out?"

Luka shrugged, "She needed someone to talk to. You know you really helped her."

Alya shook her head, "I just told her what my therapist told me."

"You still helped her."

"I wish her mother would help her."

Luka's expression darkened. "So do I."

* * *

Tomoe Tsurugi did not help her daughter. After getting both shouted at, and a lecture, Kagami was grounded for a month, and had her laptop and phone taken away, the later only to be given back when she was at lessons and school.

As soon as she was in her room, Kagami fished through her drawers until she found what she was looking for. Then, she was ready to try what Alya had suggested.

* * *

On the other side of Paris, a poor soul's emotions were taken advantage of, the first in weeks.

On the other side of Paris, the akuma raged, it's goal to make everyone know how it felt to be lonely. To be isolated from everyone else.

On the other side of Paris, Chat Noir arrived to fight the akuma, to try to defeat it, or to calm it down. To do something, even if he didn't know what that something was.

And on the other side of Paris, only minutes after Chat Noir arrived, a figure in red and black appeared, showing herself to the people of Paris for the first time.

Crimson Bug.


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: I honestly struggled a lot with this chapter, but it's here and I hope ya'll like it! _**

* * *

_Two weeks earlier, the day after Marinette's "death":_

Marinette pulled her hood up and walked with her head down. After she had left the hospital, she made her way to her house, or old house, and grabbed a jacket, backpack and some money. Now, Marinette had no idea what she was doing. All Tikki told her was that she had a plan, and to follow her instructions. That was it.

"Tikki, are you sure about this?" Marinette whispered harshly, putting her hands in her pocket and waiting for Tikki to 'write' something on her skin.

Yes, was the answer.

She walked for a few more minutes before Tikki told her to stop. The area was nice and empty, give for an early morning jogger here or there.

Marinette sat down on a nearby bench, and pulled her hood farther down on her face, hoping that no one would notice her.

It wasn't long before a woman made her way to the bench and sat on the other side. She wore a blue sundress, and a straw hat that kept Marinette from seeing her eyes. Her blonde hair was held back with a loose bow.

"Ladybug?"

Marinette felt her skin tingle, and fought to keep her breath steady as the woman turned to her, still keeping her hat low.

"How do you know who I am?" Marinette asked

"You know of the Guardians," the woman said, ignoring Marinette's original question, "but what you and many of the newer Guardians don't know is that there is another society that helps the Guardians. We are the Protectors and Providers. We help the Miraculous Heroes in situations like these, to make new lives and to live. Your case is a little more complicated, as you can't leave Paris, so we will also be helping with money. At least until you can figure something out."

"That doesn't answer my question."

The woman laughed quietly, "You're right, it didn't. But it is not a question I can answer here. If you let me, I can take you to a secure location and we can figure this all out."

Marinette was preparing to say no and bolt, but Tikki popped her head out and looked up at Marinette with a smile, "It's okay Marinette. You can trust her."

"I…" Marinette looked from Tikki to the woman, laying out her options. Which she really didn't have… "Okay," She sighed, "I'll come. But if you betray me,"

The woman shook her head, and held out a hand, "I know better than to mess with one of Tikki's girls. Now come, we have much work to do."

The woman led Marinette through back alleys, and hidden streets. They duck in and out of the few crowds they came upon, until they finally reached a peaceful and quiet neighborhood about an hour after their meeting.

Marinette followed the woman as she led her into a small townhouse. As soon as they were in, the woman locked the door and sighed in relief. "Good, we made it without anyone noticing us."

"Noticing us?" Marinette asked, "I don't even know who you are, or what's going on, and now you're telling me that you're scared of people following us?!"

"Noticing us." The woman corrected, as she took off her hat and placed it on a small table next to the door.

"That's not the point!" Marinette said, "The point is that I've faked my death and was told by my Kwami to trust you, and I'm not getting answers and- woah." Marinette trailed off as the woman stared right at her. She looked so much like "Mrs. Agreste?"

The woman smiled and laughed, waving a hand, "No Marinette, I'm not Mrs. Agreste… I am her sister, though."

Marinette looked closer, and saw that it was true. The woman, Emilie's sister, was obviously much younger, had a little rounder face, smaller and darker eyes, darker blonde hair and fuller lips. Still, they could easily fool someone who didn't… know as much about the Agreste family as Marinette did.

"So?"

The woman sighed and gestured for Marinette to follow her into a room to the right, which judging by the couches was the living room, they then sat down and Marinette looked at her expectantly.

"My name Elise, and I am a former Ladybug."

Time seemed to stop as Marinette tried to wrap her head around what she just heard.A former Ladybug? But Master Fu told her that there hadn't been a Ladybug in many decades!

"How is that even possible?" She asked, "Tikki!"

Tikki flew up and nodded her head solemnly, "It's true, Marinette."

"But Master Fu-"

"Made me, and Elise, swear an oath to not mention our time as Kwami and holder. Ever."

Marinette got up and started to pace, "But.. That doesn't make sense. I've gone through the records, Paris hasn't had a Ladybug in hundreds of years."

"That's because I wasn't a Parisian Ladybug." Elise said, as she held her hand out to Tikki. The Kwami smiled and landed on her hand, "Hello Tikki."

"Hello, Lissie."

Marinette cleared her throat. While she usually wouldn't mind seeing her Kwami reunite with a past Ladybug, there was a pressing matter at hand.

"Yes, sorry. I was a Dutch Ladybug."

"But… you're French?"

Elise sighed, "Yes… and no. Emilie and I are half sisters. Emilie's father had died when she was young, and our mother moved remarried a Dutchman when Emilie was almost 20. I… I was a surprise." Elise laughed.

"Oh…"

"It's okay. But, as I was originally telling you, I am a past Ladybug. One of many. What Master Fu never told you was that there have been a handful of us in the past 100 years, along with other Miraculous holders. Both appointed by him, and not. We are the Protectors."

Marinette sat back down, and gave Elise her full attention,

"Not all the Guardians can be trusted, or are that good at their jobs, and more often than not Miraculous holders have had to take drastic measures. Faking deaths or disappearing with no trace. That's where we come in."

"You help give us a new identity…" Marinette said, remembering their earlier conversation.

"Exactly."

Marinette shook her head, "But.. How? Won't people recognize me?"

"That's where I come in!" Tikki said, "as do the other Kwami's."

Marinette took her cue and got out the Miraculous box, opening it up and allowing the other kwami's to come out.

"I can make a charm, much like the one you have as Ladybug, and make it so no one can recognize you."

Trixx flew over next to Tikki and proudly pointed to himself, "With Tikki's help, I can change your hair and eyes."

"And the rest of us will work with Elise to create your background story," Wayzz said, going over to the older woman."

"I… didn't know that you could do all of that." Marinette said, staring at the Kwami's in shock.

Tikki giggled, "We can do a lot of things when needed. This is only the tip of the iceberg. So, are you ready?"

Marinette looked around from the eager, and subdued, Kwami's, to the soft smiling face of Elise. If anyone could make it work, it would be all of them.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

_The day before the funeral:_

"Is this it?" Marinette asked as she and Elise sat at the kitchen table. As it turned our, the townhouse was Marinette's for as long as she needed to be in Paris. At first, Marinette protested, saying that it was too big. But Elise insisted that it was perfect. There was room for the Kwami's and Marinette, for future Miraculous holders if they needed a place to stay (Elise explained to Marinette that there would be a day where she would need to tell her teammates her identity. Marinette was still trying to get over how different that was from what Fu told her), and room for Marinette to design.

Elise nodded and pushed the envelope over. "New ID, new papers, new passport, family records school records, everything. From now on you are no longer Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you are Aimee Leroux. You are 15 years old, live with your mother and father, and have traveled a lot in your life."

"And my mother and father will be played by other former Miraculous holders when needed."

Elise nodded.

Marinette opened up the envelope, and took out her ID first. There she was, her long red hair flowing over her shoulder in braids, and her dark purple eyes sparkling. Tikki and Tixx had done a good job in changing her appearance.

"Are you going tomorrow?"

Marinette looked up at Elise's concerned face. In the few days that they had known each other, the two had grown close. Tikki said that it was a Ladybug thing. And it helped that there was a less than 10 year age gap.

"I might…"

"Are you sure you should?"

Marinette had asked herself that question a lot over the past few days. She had never realized how many people cared about her, and it hurt so much to think about what she had chosen to do. What she had needed to do. But, this would give her the chance to see her parents and friends one last time, even if it was from a distance.

"I don't know… But I think I need to."

Elise nodded her head, "Then I'll go with you."

"You don't need to!" Marinette protested, "I don't want to cause any trouble."

"It isn't any trouble Marinette, or Aimee," She said softly, "this is something I want to do. You shouldn't go alone."

"Thanks Elise," Marinette leaned over her gave the older girl a hug, which she returned,

"No problem, Little Bug. Besides," She pulled back and reached for a chain around her neck, pulling it up to reveal her own Kwagatama, "We Ladybug's need to stick together."

* * *

_The day of "Marinette's" funeral:_

Marinette had awoken early to get ready for "her" funeral. Elise had dropped off a black dress, black hooded jacket and a black veil the day before, showing that she knew Marinette was going to go even before asking her. Marinette tried not to think much as she got ready. She tried not to think of her Maman as she pulled on her dress, or her Papa as she spun her hair into a bun to help conceal it.

She tried not to think of Luka as she put on her makeup, and tried not to think of her old classmates as she put on her veil, and as she grabbed her purse and headed outside, where Elise was waiting for her with the car.

She tried not to think of her old life as the pair arrived at the church, where there were hundreds of people.

She averted her gaze and kept her voice low whenever someone came near, and she stayed near the back and close to Elise as the funeral began.

It was hard to tune out the pastor as he talked death and loss, and it got harder as family members and old friends went up to tell stories.

Tears flooded her eyes when Luka and Jagged sang a song in honor of her. She bit her lip as her Maman told the story of Marinette learning to sew, and tears were flowing down her cheeks freely by the time Alya was on stage, talking about how kind Marinette was. She was ready to sob with her former friend by the time Alya broke down.

Elise slipped an arm around Marinette as they exited the church a couple hours later and made their way to the graveyard. They stayed back and out of sight, watching everyone mourn Marinette as the casket was lowered into the ground. Marinette's heart broke as she watched Kagami cry, and as Luka put his arm around her to steady her. She had never wanted to put her friends and family in pain, and yet here they all were, in more pain than Marinette ever intended.

The funeral ended less than 30 minutes later, and people started to thin out. Eventually, even Elise needed to go, after Marinette assured her that she would be okay.

One by one, the graveyard emptied until it was only her parents and Luka.

Marinette hid behind a tree and tried to listen, to hear their voices one last time, but they were too far away and she couldn't risk getting closer.

Before she knew it, they also had to leave, and Marinette tried to memorize their faces as they left.

When she was sure she was alone, Marinette walked over the the grave, leaning down and picking up one of the many cherry blossoms people had thrown, while placing her other hand on the dirt.

"I'm sorry Maman, Papa, Luka… But this is what needs to happen."

With that, Marinette placed the cherry blossom in her pocket and left. She had said her last goodbye, and now, it was time to leave. Time to start her new life, and defeat Hawkmoth once and for all.

And maybe one day, she would see her family again.


End file.
